diff --git a/graphiti_core/utils/maintenance/dedup_helpers.py b/graphiti_core/utils/maintenance/dedup_helpers.py
index c5ee8024..3c08512e 100644
--- a/graphiti_core/utils/maintenance/dedup_helpers.py
+++ b/graphiti_core/utils/maintenance/dedup_helpers.py
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ class DedupCandidateIndexes:
     """Precomputed lookup structures that drive entity deduplication heuristics."""
 
     existing_nodes: list[EntityNode]
+    nodes_by_uuid: dict[str, EntityNode]
     normalized_existing: defaultdict[str, list[EntityNode]]
     shingles_by_candidate: dict[str, set[str]]
     lsh_buckets: defaultdict[tuple[int, tuple[int, ...]], list[str]]
@@ -168,12 +169,14 @@ class DedupResolutionState:
 def _build_candidate_indexes(existing_nodes: list[EntityNode]) -> DedupCandidateIndexes:
     """Precompute exact and fuzzy lookup structures once per dedupe run."""
     normalized_existing: defaultdict[str, list[EntityNode]] = defaultdict(list)
+    nodes_by_uuid: dict[str, EntityNode] = {}
     shingles_by_candidate: dict[str, set[str]] = {}
     lsh_buckets: defaultdict[tuple[int, tuple[int, ...]], list[str]] = defaultdict(list)
 
     for candidate in existing_nodes:
         normalized = _normalize_name_exact(candidate.name)
         normalized_existing[normalized].append(candidate)
+        nodes_by_uuid[candidate.uuid] = candidate
 
         shingles = _cached_shingles(_normalize_name_for_fuzzy(candidate.name))
         shingles_by_candidate[candidate.uuid] = shingles
@@ -184,6 +187,7 @@ def _build_candidate_indexes(existing_nodes: list[EntityNode]) -> DedupCandidate
 
     return DedupCandidateIndexes(
         existing_nodes=existing_nodes,
+        nodes_by_uuid=nodes_by_uuid,
         normalized_existing=normalized_existing,
         shingles_by_candidate=shingles_by_candidate,
         lsh_buckets=lsh_buckets,
@@ -210,6 +214,9 @@ def _resolve_with_similarity(
             state.resolved_nodes[idx] = match
             state.uuid_map[node.uuid] = match.uuid
             continue
+        if len(existing_matches) > 1:
+            state.unresolved_indices.append(idx)
+            continue
 
         shingles = _cached_shingles(normalized_fuzzy)
         signature = _minhash_signature(shingles)
@@ -224,10 +231,7 @@ def _resolve_with_similarity(
             score = _jaccard_similarity(shingles, candidate_shingles)
             if score > best_score:
                 best_score = score
-                best_candidate = next(
-                    (cand for cand in indexes.existing_nodes if cand.uuid == candidate_id),
-                    None,
-                )
+                best_candidate = indexes.nodes_by_uuid.get(candidate_id)
 
         if best_candidate is not None and best_score >= _FUZZY_JACCARD_THRESHOLD:
             state.resolved_nodes[idx] = best_candidate
diff --git a/tests/utils/maintenance/test_node_operations.py b/tests/utils/maintenance/test_node_operations.py
index 58a8f27a..1be44cf9 100644
--- a/tests/utils/maintenance/test_node_operations.py
+++ b/tests/utils/maintenance/test_node_operations.py
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ def test_build_candidate_indexes_populates_structures():
 
     normalized_key = candidate.name.lower()
     assert indexes.normalized_existing[normalized_key][0].uuid == candidate.uuid
+    assert indexes.nodes_by_uuid[candidate.uuid] is candidate
     assert candidate.uuid in indexes.shingles_by_candidate
     assert any(candidate.uuid in bucket for bucket in indexes.lsh_buckets.values())
 
@@ -260,7 +261,27 @@ def test_resolve_with_similarity_exact_match_updates_state():
 
 def test_resolve_with_similarity_low_entropy_defers_resolution():
     extracted = EntityNode(name='Bob', group_id='group', labels=['Entity'])
-    indexes = DedupCandidateIndexes([], defaultdict(list), {}, defaultdict(list))
+    indexes = DedupCandidateIndexes(
+        existing_nodes=[],
+        nodes_by_uuid={},
+        normalized_existing=defaultdict(list),
+        shingles_by_candidate={},
+        lsh_buckets=defaultdict(list),
+    )
+    state = DedupResolutionState(resolved_nodes=[None], uuid_map={}, unresolved_indices=[])
+
+    _resolve_with_similarity([extracted], indexes, state)
+
+    assert state.resolved_nodes[0] is None
+    assert state.unresolved_indices == [0]
+
+
+def test_resolve_with_similarity_multiple_exact_matches_defers_to_llm():
+    candidate1 = EntityNode(name='Johnny Appleseed', group_id='group', labels=['Entity'])
+    candidate2 = EntityNode(name='Johnny Appleseed', group_id='group', labels=['Entity'])
+    extracted = EntityNode(name='Johnny Appleseed', group_id='group', labels=['Entity'])
+
+    indexes = _build_candidate_indexes([candidate1, candidate2])
     state = DedupResolutionState(resolved_nodes=[None], uuid_map={}, unresolved_indices=[])
 
     _resolve_with_similarity([extracted], indexes, state)